Aladdin Remake Trailer Arrives and It's Magical

Disney has released the first trailer for their live-action remake of Aladdin. Will Smith just recently revealed the first poster for the upcoming reimagining online and we assumed that meant the trailer wouldn't be far behind. We just didn't know it would be this soon. Disney decided to unveil the trailer during Thursday Night Football as the Philadelphia Eagles went up against the New York Giants. But primetime belongs to Disney tonight.

This gives us our first footage from Disney's latest live-action remake of one of their animated classics. Strangely, and somewhat frustratingly, we didn't get our first taste of Will Smith as the Genie. The role originated with the late great and, frankly, irreplaceable Robin Williams in the original 1992 animated classic. Will fans be kind to Smith's new take? We'll have to wait and see. That's going to be a tough hill to climb, but one would be hard-pressed to find someone with more charisma, and also someone who is so conversely different. Aside from that, Aladdin is a beloved classic all around and it will be interesting to see if this new take is embraced.

The cast includes a lot of relative unknowns to American audiences. Disney didn't want to wind up facing any sort of whitewashing controversy on this one. Mena Massoud has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, as he's been given the titular role following a very extensive casting search. Power Rangers star Naomi Scott, who is also one of the new Charlie's Angels, is also on board as Jasmine. Other key players include Marwan Kenzari as the villainous Jafar, Numan Acar as Hakim, the big bad guy's right-hand man. Billy Magnussen and Nasim Pedrad are also on board as new characters created specifically for the remake. And, just for good measure, it's been confirmed that Jasmine's tiger Rajah will be included.

Director Guy Ritchie is at the helm for this one. The man behind such unique crime flicks as Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels may not seem like the most obvious choice, but he's also proven his blockbuster chops with movies like Sherlock Holmes. Though, he is coming off of last year's King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, which was one of the biggest blockbuster flops of 2017. But he's got Disney behind him and an already beloved property to work with. John August and Vanessa Taylor are credited with the screenplay.

This is just the latest in a series of very successful live-action remakes by Disney. It follows in the footsteps of movies like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and The Jungle Book. 1992's animated Aladdin was a bit hit. The movie grossed $504 million worldwide working from a budget of just $28 million. It went on to inspire several direct to home video sequels, as well as an animated TV series. The live-action Aladdin remake is set to arrive in theaters on May 22, 2019. Be sure to check out the new trailer from Walt Disney Studios Youtube channel for yourself below.